W Tree Ambassador Hannam, 38th floor Italian restaurant.
Holding a half-filled wine glass, Minyoung looked at Monica, who kept sipping her wine, with concern.
"Monica, that's Amarone. You might end up being carried out of the hotel if you keep drinking it like that."
Monica smiled broadly, lifting her glass.
"I know, it's my beloved country Italy's wine. Thanks, Anna. Ah! I should call you Minyoung here in Korea, right?"
"Whatever you prefer, call me by any comfortable name. But put the glass down now."
Minyoung's nagging made Monica put her glass down on the table. She admired the beautiful color of the wine and said,
"Amarone, produced in the Verona region of Veneto, where the city of water, Venice, is located. Originally, this area was known for producing sweet wines from dried grapes. But 'Amarone' is a full-bodied wine with a distinctive bitter taste."
Minyoung chimed in.
"The name means 'bitter,' right?"
"Giusto! Correct. Oh, did you know? This wine was created by accident."
Min-young nodded with a faint smile.
"I heard that in the early 1900s, a winery's head of fermentation missed the timing to stop fermentation because he was spending time with his girlfriend. As a result, a wine with no sweetness and a high alcohol content was created, and that was the beginning of Amarone."
Monica clapped her hands lightly and added,
"Exactly, Min-young. Although there were concerns that a dry wine wouldn't sell well in a region known for sweet wines, experts who tasted this Amarone praised its heavy body, bitterness, and unique flavor."
Min-young raised her glass for a toast,
"History is sometimes made by someone's small mistake."
The fine wine glasses clinked together, making a clear sound.
After a moment of savoring the taste of the wine, Monica, with a slightly somber voice, asked,
"How's your mother doing?"
Min-young put down her glass, her face clouded with melancholy, and nodded,
"Yes, she is."
"How old were you again?"
"Seven years old."
"Sigh, it's been over 20 years. It's a long enough time to forget, but some wounds are unforgettable. Especially such deep ones."
Monica remembered the time when Min-young had talked about her mother, Kang Yoo-jung, during her study abroad days.
Many people think that the W Tree Ambassador Hotel Group has grown into what it is now solely because of Chairman Yoo Chang-hyun's business strategies. However, the origin of the hotel group, the Jongno Hotel, was actually owned by Kang Yoo-jung's family.
Chairman Yoo Chang-hyun's family was a family of scholars with no business connections, and the Kang family, a family of merchants, handed over the hotel, the foundation of their family business, to welcome a well-educated son-in-law into their family.
Monica took another sip of her wine and asked,
"Did your mother step away from the business right after that accident?"
"Yes."
"Because of the aftereffects of the accident?"
"If you can call it aftereffects, then yes."
Min-young did not elaborate, but Monica could guess the situation.
Even she meets countless people every day to start and flourish a business. What would it be like if all those people frowned upon seeing the disability in her hand? Perhaps, she too would want to step back from the front lines if there was an alternative.
Min-young's mother had a smart and knowledgeable husband, an alternative that allowed her to hand over everything and step back.
Monica looked at Min-young and asked,
"What kind of person was your mother originally?"
Min-young thought for a moment before speaking.
"She was born to be a businesswoman. Even though my father is at the forefront of the business, he still relies on my mother for business decisions when he comes home. My father makes business decisions as my mother advises."
After a moment of silence, Monica said,
"It must be frustrating for her to step back and stay behind."
"Yes."
Observing Min-young's slightly gloomy face, Monica spoke,
"Min-young."
"Yes?"
"Do you still think it's your fault that your mom got hurt?"
Min-young's expression turned sorrowful. As she looked at her friend who had closed her mouth, Monica said,
"It's not your fault, Min-young. It was just an accident."
Hesitantly, Min-young gulped down her wine and sighed.
"Sigh, I know. It was a car accident, and it was beyond anyone's control."
"That's right, you shouldn't feel guilty about it."
Min-young closed her mouth for a moment and looked intently into her friend's eyes.
"But, Monica."
Min-young continued, hesitantly,
"If I hadn't been next to mom at the time of the accident, what would have happened?"
Monica remained silent.
"What if, during the accident that took the life of the driver, mom had been alone in the back seat? What then?"
Again, silence filled the air.
"Mom would have protected herself. She wouldn't have sacrificed her hands to block the shards of glass coming towards me. She would have ducked down and protected herself."
"Ah, Min-young."
Min-young picked up her glass and stood up to go to the window.
Hugging her arms and rubbing her forearms, she returned with a slightly brighter face.
"Dont worry too much. It's been 20 years. Both the wounded heart and the debt of the heart have now faded."
"But you still feel guilty, don't you?"
"Yes, but dont worry. I'm just living my life, repaying mom in whatever ways I can. The guilt isn't ruining my life."
Monica shook her head, but she knew Min-young's words were not wrong. Min-young always did what she had to do, decisively.
"Okay, I won't say anymore."
Min-young returned to her seat with a smile and said,
"Painting a portrait is one of the few things I can do for mom. I hope someday a painting will emerge that can soothe her heart."
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